Concrete form.



PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

J. M. UARMODYH CONCRETE FORM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

couplings complementary thereto.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. OARMODY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CONCRETE FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed August 4,1906. Serial No. 329,226.

the provision of an apparatus with which a f true, homogeneous,one-piece concrete wall may be expeditiously and easily produced withoutthe assistance of skilled labor and one embodying such a constructionthat subsequent to the setting or hardening of the concrete or otherplastic material its molding sections may be quickly and easily removed,

and this without disintegrating any part of the wall or marring thesurfaces or sides thereof.

The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptionand claims when the same are read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is anelevation illustrative of the manner in which the apparatusconstitutingthe present and preferred embodiment of my invention isemployed in the molding of a wall of concrete or other plastic material.Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the end. members of the couplingsthrough the medium of which the opposite mold-sections are connectedtogether and held in proper re.- lation during the formation of a wall.Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken detail section illustrating two courses ofmold-sections and the Fi .4 is a horizontal section taken through one ifthe said couplings.

Similar numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the views ofthe drawmgs, referring to which 1 1 are the opposite mold-sections ofone horizontal course, and 2 2 are the opposite mold-sections of thenext upper horizontal course. These mold-sections are preferably, thoughnot necessarily, made of a wood compatible with the purpose of theinvention, and the joints between the lower and upper sections arepreferably broken, as indicated by 3, in order to assure the maintenanceof continuous smooth surfaces at the inner sides of the sections as wellas to assist in retaining the upper sections in vertical alinement withthe lower sections.

4 4 are the couplings, through the medium of which the oppositemold-sections in a course are connected together andheld in properrelation until the concrete or other plastic material rammed and moldedbetween the same has hardened or set. As many of the couplings 4 may beemployed between 0 osite sections in a course as the length and eight ofthe sections demand or render necessary and inasmuch as the saidcouplings are identical in construction a detailed description of thecoupling shown at the top of Flg. 3 and in Fig. 4 will SllfilCG toimpart a definite understanding of all. The mentioned coupling 4 ismade, by preference, of iron or other suitable metal and comprises anintermediate member, referably a horizontally-disposed plate 5, havingverticallydisposed apertures 6, adj acentto 1ts ends, end members 7, andlever-catches 8, which effect detachable connection of the end membersto the intermediate member, as best shown at the top of Fig. 3. The endmembers 7 have flanges 9'at their outer ends and are preferably taperedor gradually reduced in size from the said flanges 9 inward, so as tosnugly occupy the correspondingly-shaped openings 10 1n the o positemold-sections of the course.

Interior y the end couplin members 7 are shaped as shown at the rig t ofthe u per portion of Fig. 3that is to say, they ave inwardly-taperedopenings 11, which extend inward from the outer ends of the sections andmerge at their inner ends into chambers or recesses 12, open at theirupper sides. The lever-catches 8 of the coupling are fulcrumed at 13 inthe end members 7 and are arranged to be swung vertically. Their outerarms extend-outward beyond the outer ends of the members 7 and areproportionately long and heavy, as shown, whereby it will be seen that.they will assume andnormally rest in the position shown and in that wayretain the pins 14 ontheir inner short arms 15 in the apertures 6 of theintermediate member 5 and preclude casual disconnection of the endmembers from said intermediate member. In virtue ofthe outer arms ofthelever-catches 8 extending outward beyond the outer ends of theend-coupling members said lever-catches may obviously be quickly andeasily disengaged from the intermediate member 5 to eifect disconnectionof the end members from said intermediate member. It will also be notedthat when the outer arms of the lever-catches 8 are raised for thepurpose stated the inner arms 15 and the pins 14 thereon will be drawndown into the recesses 12 in the end members 7 and below the upper sidesof the inner por tions of said end members, this in order to precludedisintegration of orinjury to the wall when the end members 7 are drawnout of the Wall and the openings in the opposite mold-sections.

In the practical use of my novel apparatus the mold-sections arearranged one course above the other, and the opposite sections areconnected together through the medium of the couplings 4, asillustrated. The concrete or other plasticmaterial is then put in theform andrammed in the usual manner, and the mold-sections are left inthe positions shown until the material of the Wall has set or hardened.When the material employed has solidified into a homogeneous mass, theend coupling members 7 are disconnected from the intermediate members 5,and said end coupling members are withdrawn endwise from the plasticwall, after which the mold-sections are removed. To disconnect the endmembers of the couplings from the intermediate members, it is essen tialto raise the outer arms of the latch-levers 8, and when this is done theinner arms of said levers are received entirely in the recesses 12 ofthe coupling members 7. In virtue of this and the taper form of thecoupling members 7 it will be seen that the withdrawal of the saidcoupling members 7 is attended by no disintegration of or injuryto thewall whatever, which is an important desideratum. The intermediatemembers 5 of the couplings 4 are left in the wall of plastic material,and subsequent to the withdrawal of the end coupling members 7 thespaces that were occupied by the same are filled in any approved mannerwith plastic material of the same character as that originally employed.

With a view of lending strength and stability to the apparatus at thejoints between the mold-sections of the lower course and those of theupper course as well as to assure I the mold-sections resting invertical alinement I prefer to employ the metallic plates 20. (Bestshown in Fig. 3.) These plates 20 have apertures21, which receive theend members 7 of the couplings 4, and they are snugly retained inposition against the sides of the mold-sections by the flanges'Q of theend members 7 of couplings 4 after the manner illustrated.

'22 22 are brace-frames positioned at opposite sides of the site of thewall and designed to reinforce the superposed mold-sect1ons. Theseframes may be of any construction compatible with the purpose of myinvention without involvin departure from the scope thereof, thoughfprefer to have them comprise inner upright bars 23, disposed againstthe sides of the mold, outer upright bars 24, horizontal bars 25,connecting the bars 23 and 24, and struts 26, crossed and pivotallyconnected together and connected at their opposite ends to the uprights23 and 24, each of the saidstruts being provided with a turnbuckle 27,whereby it may be increased or diminished in length as occasion demands.

When desirable, the brace-frames 22 may comprise sections superposed andconnected together in any approved manner.

It will be gathered from the foregoing that when my novel apparatus isemployed a wall may be expeditiously formed of plastic material with theexpenditure of. but a minimum amount of effort and without theemployment of skilled labor, and it will also be noted that subsequentto the setting or hardening of the material incorporated in the Wall theparts of the apparatus may be quickly and easily removed.

I have specifically described the construction and relative arrangementof the parts included in the present embodiment of my invention with aview of imparting a definite understanding of the same; but it isobvious that in practice such changes or modifications may be made asfairly fall within the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. In a molding apparatus, the combina tion of opposite mold-sectionshaving transverse openings, and a coupling between said mold-sectionscomprising an intermediate member, end members removably arranged in thetransverse openings of the mold-sections and movable rectilinearlyoutward through said openings, and adjustable devices carried by the endsections and detachably connecting the same with the intermediatesections.

2. In a molding apparatus, the combination of opposite mold-sectionshaving transverse apertures, and a coupling comprising an intermediatemember, end members removably arrangedin the apertures of themold-sections, and adjustable devices carried by the end members anddetachably connecting the same to the intermediate memher; saidadjustable devices being arranged when disengaged from the intermediatemember to assume positions entirely within the end members.

3. In a molding apparatus, the combination of opposite mold-sectionshaving openings, and a coupling between said moldsections, comprising anintermediate member, and end members removably arranged in the openingsof the mold-sections and movable rectilinearly outward through saidopenings and having latches engaging the intermediate member anddetachably connecting the members together.

4. In a molding apparatus, the combination of opposite mold-sections,and a coupling between said mold-sections comprising separableintermediate and end members latched together the end members arrangedto move rectilinearly outward throu h' the mold-sections when unlatchedfrom t e intermediate member.

5. In a-molding apparatus, .the combination of opposite mold-sectionshaving apertures, and a coupling comprising an interme-' diate aperturedmember, end members removably arranged in the apertures of themold-sections and provided with means for holding themselves againstinward movement, and latches carried by the end members and detachablyconnecting the same 'to' the intermediate member.

6. In a molding apparatus, the combination of opposite -mold-sectionshaving apertures, and a coupling comprising an interme diate member, endmembers removably arranged in the apertures of the mold-sections, andlatches carried by the end members and detachably connecting the sametothe inter mediate member; the said end members'being arranged when. thelatches are disengaged from the intermediate member to en- 1 tirelyreceive said latches.

7. In a molding apparatus, the combination of opposite mold-sectionshaving apertures, and a coupling comprising an interme-' jacent to itsends, end member's removably arranged in the apertures of themold-sections and open at their outer ends and hav ing recesses in theupper sides of theirinner portions, and latch-levers fulcrumed in andextending through the end coupling members and' having pins removablyarranged in the apertures of the intermediate member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. OARMODY.

Witnesses:

WM. CHAs. LEDERER, HENRY J. Gnoss.

